From Auto Replies to Custom Fields, Get the Most from Apptoto with These Functions!

We spoke with Tyler, one of our customer support specialists, about the needs and pain points our customers seek help with.

Luckily, Apptoto has an arsenal of tools that can make life a lot easier for businesses – and they’re easy to use.

Check out Tyler’s advice below!

Q: We have multiple offices; how can I easily include those addresses in my reminders?

A: Location keywords

Apptoto’s keyword utility allows you to trigger not only specific messages, but it can also be employed to include variable address information in your reminders.

In your “Settings” > “Locations” tab, you’ll be able to specify your default location, as well as generate new locations to be used if an appointment includes that location’s keyword.

For example, your default location can be used for any and all appointments, and you can set up a second location (e.g. Downtown Office) that will be used when including the word “Downtown” in that appointment.

Once your locations are created, ensure that your Auto Messages contain an address field (see user guide), and then simply schedule your appointments with the correct keywords, and voila! Your clients will now know exactly where to go for their appointment.

A: Custom fields

Apptoto has the ability to use “custom fields” to pull information from your appointments to then plug into your reminder messages. To accomplish this, you’ll need to consistently follow specific rules for formatting that info. Specifically, you’ll need to include that information in the body of your appointment like so:

service: haircut

stylist: Karen

This allows you to include the custom field coding in your messages, specifically {{ event.custom.service }} and {{ event.custom.stylist }}, which then pulls in “haircut” and “Karen,” respectively. For more information on this feature, visit our user guide here.

Q: My boss forgets ALL his meetings; how can I send him reminders for everything?

A: to: field

Apptoto now has the ability to set up reminders exclusively for specific individuals by using our new “To: Field” feature.

This feature works with your existing messages and timing and simply allows you to specify who that reminder will always go to (e.g. the calendar owner or a phone number/email of your choice), and it can then automatically add that person as a participant to your events, further streamlining the appointment setup process.

To enable this feature for your account, simply contact support@apptoto.com, and our reps will be happy to help you!

Q: What happens if Apptoto tries to send a text message to a landline? Can we prevent it from doing that?

A: phone_is_mobile cond.

By default, Apptoto will attempt to send SMS messages to landlines, which in most cases, are unable to receive that particular message type.

To prevent this, you can set up a new condition on your Auto Messages tab with the following coding: participant.phone_is_mobile == true

That code will run the phone number in question through an external service to determine if it is a mobile phone or landline, and can then prevent the SMS from sending if it is not a mobile phone.

For more info on the function and customization of conditions, simply visit our user guide here.

Q: We have a 24-hour cancellation policy; how can we enforce this with our reminders?

A: Refusals

Apptoto’s new “Refusals” feature allows you to set a cutoff for cancellation/reschedule responses from your clients. In your Auto Messages tab, under the “Advanced Settings” header at the bottom of the page, you’ll find the following options:

The first setting will allow you to establish that cutoff time, specifically the exact number of hours before the appointment’s start time. Any cancel/reschedule responses from your clients after that cutoff will be met with an automated message, letting them know their response was refused and to reach out to your company directly.

The second setting will allow your clients to change their first response (e.g. Confirm to Cancel) and will specify the cutoff point (in hours) where they will be locked into their response.

If you do not see these settings in your account, just reach out to support@apptoto.com, and we’ll be happy to help!

Q: I want to send a questionnaire to our clients when they confirm their appointment; can I automate that?

A: Auto replies

Apptoto’s Auto Replies & Actions feature, built into your Auto Messages tab, allows you to further streamline your client engagement process and is commonly used to send, “Thank you for confirming your appointment” messages automatically to your clients.

This tool can also be used to send out a completely customized message, such as a link to an external satisfaction survey, a list of important documents they may need to bring to their appointment, or many other uses. To learn more about this feature, check out our user guide here.